Humidifier



April 18, 1939. w J WOOLLEY 2,155,070

HUMIDIFIER Filed Aug. 13, 1937 43 INVENTOR.

BY 40% W 77 ATTO EYS Patented Apr. 18, I939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HUMID-IFIER William J. Woolley, Chicago, Ill.

Application August 13, 1937, Serial No. 158,962 I 4 Claims. (01. 126113) This invention relates in general to automatic internal construction to that disclosed in applihumidifiers, and more particularly to such a decants U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,079,098, issued vice which is adapted for use in hot air furnaces. May 4, 1937, having inlet and outlet compart- A principal object of the invention is the promerits therein with a float controlled valve com- 5 vision of an automatic humidifier having an admunicating therebetween. A supply tube I6 is 5,.

justable hood portion which permits it to be connected at its lower end to the upper end of mounted in the dome portion of a hot air furthe feeder [5 to communicate with the inlet comnace regardless of the particular slope of the partment therein, and is connected in any suitside wall of the furnace dome. able manner at its upper end to a water pipe 10 Another important object of the invention is H. The supply pipe I6 is preferably formed of 10 the provision of such a humidifier having means copper tubing, but any other suitable material for guiding the hot air over the water surface, may be employed. An inlet conduit I8 is conwhich particularly adapts it for use in a forced nected at one end in any desired manner to the circulation system, lower end of the feeder I5 to communicate with A further important object of the invention the outlet compartment therein, and is connected 1}, is the provision in such a humidifier of means at its other end to the forward end of the pan for adjusting the position of the water pan to M. The inlet conduit |8is also preferably formed vary the evaporating capacity thereof. of copper tubing, but any other suitable mate- Another object of the invention is the prorial may be employed. An equalizer pipe and vision of pan overflow discharge means forming brace I9 interconnects the pan l4 and the upper 20 a part of the pan evaporating capacity adjustportion of the outlet compartment within the ing means. water feeder I5.

A further object of the invention is the use The water pan [4 is preferably stamped from of a water pan of sheet bronze construction which sheet bronze, and is provided with front and increases the rate of evaporation, because of its rear end plates 2| and 22, respectively, which 25 high co-efficient of heat transmission. are made of brass or any other desired material,

Numerous other objects and advantages of the and are secured to the body portion of the pan invention will be apparent as it is better underin any suitable manner. The bottom wall of the stood from the following description, which, when pan I4 is formed with a longitudinal groove or taken in connection with the accompanying rib 24 (Fig. 4), and the side walls are provided 30 drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment with a plurality of circumfer ential grooves or thereof. ribs 25 to insure a rigid construction.

In the drawing, A plurality of upstanding bracket members 26 Figure 1 is a perspective view of an automatic are secured at spaced intervals at their lower hum fie embodying the features of the instant ends to the marginal edges of the body portion 35- invention shown installed in the hood of a hot of the pan M. The bracket members 26 are air furnace with part of the Wall of the atter bent inwardly at their upper ends, as indicated broken away; i at 21 in Fig. 4, and are provided with suitable 2 is a Side elevatlonal VleW 0f the hllmldlapertures in which are mounted hinge rings 28. fier 0f The rings 28 also engage suitable apertures pro- 40 Figs 3, 4 alfld 5 are Vert ica1 Sectional Views vided adjacent the inner marginal edge portions taken substantially on the lmes 33, 4-4 and of a pair of curved, longitudinally disposed wing 55 respectively, of Fig. 2; and member s 29. The wings 29, in their outward Fig. 6 1s a vertical sectional v1ew taken subor operative position of Figs. 1) 2 and 4 are 45, gfiz g i s g g g i the drawing adapted to force or guide the rising currents reference numeral H indicates generally a hot of Warm Over, the s urface of the Water m furnace of any desired type and having the the pan l4 and into direct contact therewith. usual dome or hood portion [2 at its upper end. T 0f the hinglis 28 15 to permlt Swing- 0 A humidifying device, indicated generally by ref- 1 o d n 0f the WlngS 29 $0 a 1 81 01' erence numeral [3, is adapted to be mount d inoperative position over the pan M (as shown in the ho d l2 of the furna e, a d comprises in broken lines in Fig. 4) to facilitate insertion pan l4 and an automatic feeding device [5 for and withdrawal of the pan into and out of the supplying water thereto. hood l2 of the furnace II. The width of the The automatic water feeder I5 is similar in wings 29 is such as to permit their being nested one above the other in this folded or inoperative position.

The pan l4 having been inserted within a suitable small aperture in the side wall of the hood |2 of the furnace H, such aperture is sealed or closed off by a lower bonnet plate 3| and an upper bonnet hood member 32, as shown in Fig. l. The bonnet plate 3| is substantially U-shaped so as to closely conform to the outer surface of the pan l4 adjacent the forward end wall 2| thereof. The leg portions of the bonnet plate 3| are provided with slots 33 through which bolts 34 or other suitable holding means are adapted to eX- tend to secure the plate to the side wall of the furnace hood l2. The bonnet hood 32 is provided with a centrally disposed, outwardly extending dome portion 35 which is adapted to engage the forward end of the pan |4 adjacent the lower edge thereof. The bonnet hood 32 is also provided with a pair of downwardly extending leg portions 36 which are bent forwardly out of the plane of the marginal portion thereof and are adapted to overlap the leg portions of the plate 3|. The bolts 34 extend through suitable apertures in these leg portions 36, and additional rivets, screws, or the like, 3'! may be employed to rigidly secure the members 3| and 32 to the side wall of .the furnace hood |2. From the above description, it will be readily apparent that the plate 3| and hood 32 constitute adjustable means for effectively sealing the small aperture in the side wall of the furnace hood I2 through which the pan l4 has been inserted, regardless of the particular slope of the side wall of the furnace An overflow pipe and rigid supporting brace 4| is secured in any suitable manner to the rear end plate 22 of the pan M to provide a leakproof joint therebetween, and is of suffiicient length to extend outwardly through and beyond the wall of the furnace dome I2. A suitable aperture 4?. (Fig. 1) is provided in the wall of the furnace dome l2 for this purpose. A plate 43 is adapted to be secured in any suitable manner to the outer surface of the wall of the furnace dome l2, and is provided with a vertically disposed slot 44 which is positioned in alignment with the aperture 42. The slot 44 (Fig. is enlarged at 45 at its center and end portions. The Width of the narrow part of the slot 44 is substantially equal to the outer diameter of the overflow pipe 4|, which pipe extends outwardly therethrough. An adjustable cover plate 43 is slidably mounted upon the overflow pipe 4|, and is adapted to be resiliently held against the outer surface of the plate 43 by a spring 41 which surrounds the pipe 4| and is retained at its outer end by an adjustable collar 48. The plate 45 is provided with an inwardly extending annular flange (Figs. 5 and 6) surrounding the pipe 4| and in sliding engagement therewith which is adapted to engage one of the enlarged portions 45 of the slot 54 in the plate 43.

It will thus be apparent that, if the plate 45 is slid outwardly on the pipe 4| relative to the plate 43 against the tension of the spring 47, the pipe 4| may be moved vertically relative to the furnace dome i2, and that it will be retained in any one of three selected positions by the engagement of the flange 49 with one of the enlarged portions 45 of the slot 44 of the rigidly secured plate 43. Such vertical movement of the plate 45 relative to the plate 43 is guided by a pair of vertical slots 5| (Fig. 5) in the plate 46 engaging a pair of outwardly extending lugs 52 formed on the plate 43.

It will be apparent from the above description, that the water pan |4 may be readily mounted within the dome of a hot air furnace of any particular construction, the adjustable bonnet plates 3|, 32 and the adjustable cover plates 43, 46 being adapted to compensate for variations in slope in the side walls of the furnace dome. The pan i4 having been inserted in the furnace dome, the wings 29 are swung to their outward or operative position as shown in Fig. 1. The rising currents of warm air within the furnace are guided by these wings 29 over and into contact with the surface of the water in the pan M. The feeder 5 functions to automatically maintain the water level in the pan i4 constant. The rate of evaporation of this water from the pan l4 may be varied by adjusting the level of the pan through the agency of the overflow pipe 4| and the members 43 to $2. This results in the maintenance of a lesser or greater amount of water in the pan 4. The use of sheet bronze in constructing the pan i4 and the provision of the wings 29 greatly increases the rate of evaporation over that obtainable by humidifying devices of the prior art. The Wings 25? are particularly adapted for use when the humidifying device is employed in a hot air furnace having forced circulation, since in such an installation, the air currents normally pass by the evaporating pan very rapidly, and the wings will insure the warm air coming into direct contact with the water to be evaporated.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. In an automatic humidifier for use in hot air furnaces or the like, having a water pan adapted to be mounted in the furnace; means for selectively adjusting the vertical position of one end of said pan from the exterior of the furnace to vary the capacity of the pan, comprising a plate mounted on the furnace and having an elongated vertical slot therein, said slot being enlarged at different points along its length to provide spaced apertures of greater width than the slot, a supporting member of lesser width than said slot and secured to one end of said water pan and extending through said slot, a retaining member slidably mounted on said supporting member exteriorly of the furnace and having a portion thereof of greater width than said slot and adapted to engage a selected one of said apertures, and means for resiliently maintaining said portion of the retaining member in a selected aperture in said plate.

2. In combination with a hot air furnace or the like having a dome portion with an aperture in a side wall thereof, a humidifying device, comprisa Water pan adapted to be inserted through said aperture into the dome portion of said furnace and mounted therein in the path of warm air currents generated by the furnace, and means mounted on said pan for movement relative thereto between operative and inoperative positions and adapted in operative position to extend outwardly from said pan to direct the flow of warm air currents into the pan, said means being so constructed and arranged as to be positioned between the vertical planes of the side portions of said pan when in inoperative position to facilitate the insertion and withdrawal of said pan through said aperture.

3. In combination with a hot air furnace or the like having a dome portion with an aperture in a side wall thereof, a humidifying device, comprising a water pan adapted to be inserted through said aperture into the dome portion of said furnace and mounted therein in the path of Warm air currents generated by the furnace, and a pair of wing members hingedly connected to said pan for movement between operative and inoperative positions, said wing members in operative position extending laterally from said pan to direct the flow of warm air currents into the pan and in operative position being disposed between the vertical planes of the side portions of said pan to facilitate the insertion and withdrawal of said pan through said aperture.

4. In a humidifying device for use in hot air furnaces or the like, a water pan adapted to be mounted in the path of flow of warm air currents generated by said furnace, and curved wing members mounted on each side of said pan in spaced relationship to the marginal edges thereof and extending laterally therefrom for directing the warm air currents into said pan and into contact with the surface of the water therein, said wing members being so constructed and arranged as to be moved from extended position to folded position one above the other between the vertical planes of the side marginal edges of the pan.

WILLIAM J. WOOLLEY. 

